TL;DR: To watch age-restricted videos, sign in to a YouTube account with a birthday set to 18 or older. To stop YouTube filtering content with Restricted Mode, turn it off from your profile menu on desktop, or under Settings then General in the mobile app. You must repeat this on each browser and device.
How to Turn Off Age Restriction on YouTube
Uttaran Samaddar · 6 min read · Updated Jul 13, 2026
Reviewed by Darryl Rentz on Jul 13, 2026
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Trying to watch a video that YouTube says is age-restricted? The fix depends on which restriction you are dealing with. If a specific video is locked behind an age warning, sign in to a YouTube account with a birthday set to 18 or older. If YouTube is filtering out videos across the whole site, you have Restricted Mode turned on, and you can switch it off in about ten seconds.
These are two separate settings, and mixing them up is why so many fixes fail. An age restriction applies to an individual video, and only a signed-in adult account can get past it. Restricted Mode is an optional filter you control yourself. This guide covers both: how to watch age-restricted videos, and how to turn Restricted Mode off on every device.
Read More: How the YouTube Algorithm Works: Updates and Tips
What Is Age-Restricted Content (and How Is It Different From Restricted Mode)?
YouTube age-restricts videos that contain mature themes such as profanity, nudity, graphic violence, or dangerous activities. The restriction can be applied automatically by YouTube's systems or manually by the creator, following the platform's Community Guidelines. Age-restricted videos will not play for signed-out viewers or for accounts under 18, and they cannot be watched in embeds on other websites. For a closer look at what the platform allows, read our guide to YouTube's community guidelines.
Restricted Mode is different. It is an optional setting that hides potentially mature content from search, recommendations, and comments. Nobody is placed into it based on age. You, a network administrator, or a parent turns it on, and it can be turned off the same way. Turning off Restricted Mode does not unlock age-restricted videos.
How to Watch Age-Restricted Videos on YouTube
Sign in to a YouTube account whose Google birthday is set to 18 or older. That is the whole fix for an individual locked video.
- Signed out? Age-restricted videos will not play at all, so log in first.
- Watching an embed? Age-restricted videos cannot be embedded on other websites. Open the video directly on YouTube.
If a video still refuses to play after you sign in, double-check the birthday on your Google account, not just your YouTube profile.
How to Turn Off Restricted Mode on Desktop
For desktop users, the steps take seconds:
- Sign in to your YouTube account.
- Click your profile picture in the top-right corner of the screen to open the drop-down menu.
- Select "Restricted Mode" at the bottom of the drop-down menu.
- Toggle the switch off. If Restricted Mode is on, the switch appears blue. Click it until it turns gray, then refresh the page.
Restricted Mode works at the browser and profile level, so if you use YouTube on multiple computers or browsers, repeat these steps on each one.
How to Turn Off Restricted Mode on the Mobile App (Android and iOS)
Here's how to turn Restricted Mode off in the YouTube app:
- Open the YouTube app and make sure you are logged in to your account.
- Tap your profile picture. It sits in the top-right corner on most devices; on some newer Android versions it lives in the "You" tab at the bottom right.
- Tap "Settings."
- Tap "General."
- Find "Restricted Mode" and toggle it off. When disabled, the switch appears gray.
How to Turn Off Restricted Mode in a Mobile Browser
If you're using a mobile web browser rather than the app, the steps are as follows:
- Open your mobile browser, go to youtube.com, and sign in to your account.
- Tap your profile picture in the top-right corner.
- Tap "Settings."
- Scroll down to "Restricted Mode" and toggle it off.
On a Smart TV or Game Console
Open the YouTube app on your TV or console, select your profile icon, go to "Settings," then "Restricted Mode," and switch it off. The setting applies only to that device, so a phone or laptop with Restricted Mode on stays filtered until you change it there too.
What to Do if You Can't Turn Off Restricted Mode
Sometimes the toggle is grayed out, or it flips back on by itself. That usually means one of four things:
Network restrictions. On a school, work, or public network (like a library), the administrator may have locked Restricted Mode on for everyone. You cannot override it from your account; ask the administrator or switch to a different network.
Incorrect birthdate. If your Google account shows you as under 18, Restricted Mode stays enforced. To fix your date of birth:
- Click your profile picture in the top-right corner.
- Select the Google Account option. This redirects you to the Google account linked to your YouTube channel.
- On the left-hand side, select the "Personal info" tab and adjust your date of birth.
A supervised account. If your account is managed through Google's Family Link, the parent account controls Restricted Mode, and the toggle stays locked until they change it from the Family Link app.
A browser lock. Restricted Mode can be locked on a single browser. If someone selected "Lock Restricted Mode on this browser," it cannot be turned off without that person's account password, even after you sign in as yourself.
Still stuck? YouTube's content restrictions checker shows whether the block comes from your network, your account, or your device.
For Creators: How to Remove or Appeal an Age Restriction
If you're a content creator, YouTube can age-restrict your videos automatically when its systems detect mature themes. Restricted videos are invisible to signed-out viewers and anyone under 18, which cuts your reach, and they earn limited or no ad revenue. If you plan to monetize your channel, age restrictions work directly against you.
Your first line of defense is accurate self-certification. Every upload in YouTube Studio includes a questionnaire where you declare what your video contains. Answer it honestly and consistently; a reliable self-certification record builds trust with YouTube's review systems and reduces surprise restrictions.
If a video gets restricted and you believe the rating is wrong, open YouTube Studio, select the video, and submit an appeal. Appeals are reviewed manually and usually resolve within a few days. While you wait, check whether a specific element (the thumbnail, the title, or one scene) triggered the flag; trimming or replacing it is sometimes faster than the appeal.
Final Thoughts
Most "age restriction" problems come down to two switches. Sign in to a verified 18+ account to watch locked videos, and turn off Restricted Mode to stop the sitewide filtering. If a toggle refuses to budge, the block is coming from a network, a supervised account, or a browser lock rather than from YouTube itself.
And if you're thinking of transitioning from viewer to creator, here's what you need to do.
FAQs
What is the difference between age restriction and Restricted Mode on YouTube?
An age restriction is applied to a specific video and locks it to viewers who are signed in and 18 or older. Restricted Mode is an optional filter you turn on or off yourself to hide content that may be mature. They are separate settings, and turning off Restricted Mode does not unlock age-restricted videos.
How do I watch age-restricted videos on YouTube?
Sign in to a YouTube account whose birthday is set to 18 or older. Age-restricted videos do not play for logged-out users or accounts under 18, and they cannot be embedded on other sites. If a video still will not play, check that your Google account birthday is correct.
Why can't I turn off Restricted Mode?
Usually one of three reasons: your network admin locked it on a school, work, or public connection, your account is supervised through Family Link, or your Google account birthday is under 18. Fix the birthday in your Google account, or contact the network or parent account that set the lock.
Why do videos get age-restricted on YouTube?
YouTube age-restricts videos that contain mature themes such as profanity, nudity, violence, or dangerous activities. The restriction can be applied automatically by YouTube's systems or manually by the creator, and it limits who can watch and how the video can be shown.
How do I remove an age restriction from my own video?
Open YouTube Studio, select the video, and review its content rating in the details and self-certification questionnaire. If you believe the restriction is wrong, submit an appeal. Appeals are reviewed manually and can take a few days. Age-restricted videos also earn limited or no ad revenue.